Whirlwind Vacation (Part 1)

Well, Maggie and I are almost recovered from our eleven-day trip to the East Coast. I say almost because Maggie has been taking four-hour naps the past couple days and I have been taking two-hour ones. We left on Saturday the 18th and got back in the wee hours of the morning yesterday. It was busy, busy, busy. We didn't get to see and do everything we wanted to, but we made the most of the time we had. We had a fabulous visit with my family and there were tearful goodbyes on both sides. Maybe it's a good thing that Mike was not with us this time. If we had not had the strong pull of him here in Kansas, I don't know that we would have made it home. :)

Here is a picture synopsis of our trip:

1. We started with a three-hour flight. Maggie was as good as a toddler can be. Her activities during the flight consisted of looking at books, coloring, snacking, climbing all over my lap, and playing peek-a-boo with the couple behind us. I was grateful to have an empty seat next to me, a kind couple behind, and no layover.

2. It was about bedtime by the time we reached my family's house and Aunt Rachel was only too happy to help Maggie with her bath and read her a bedtime story (a new Lion King one from Grandmommy).

3. Sunday, my dad, Rachel, Maggie and I headed down to visit with Sister Cruz and some other friends from my old Long Island ward. Unfortunately I am a dunderhead and forgot to take out my camera until everyone left. Luckily I did get a shot of Sister Cruz.

4. Monday, it was back to NJ by way of the city for lunch with my high school friends. Maggie had her first taste of both NY bagels and pizza. Oh how I miss both.

Car buddies

In front of the bagel shop

First bite of NY pizza
Maggie, Me, Jessica, Elise, Emily, Phoebe, and Mike in Phoebe's beautiful apartment (please note the aprons the girls are doning which in a fit of madness I decided to make several days before leaving for my trip)

And that's just the first three days...